Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. As he said, the question related to making electric vehicles more accessible for rural motorists. He mentioned the 400 km figure, but that confidence is not shared by people who are selling electric vehicles in Kerry, who are not confident that motorists will be able to drive all the way to Dublin, for example, in an electric vehicle. The EV schemes seem to remain the preserve of affluent, urban households. Progress will continue to stagnate, and this is another example in a long line of regressive measures pursued by the Government. Research has shown that EVs used in rural Ireland have a bigger climate impact in that they remove 35% more emissions compared with their urban counterparts, but it is less affordable for rural households to own and operate an EV. Many people in rural areas are locked into car ownership and even though there have been improvements in BusConnects and rural transport schemes, there is still a severe lack of public transport. Will the Minister consider more targeted measures aimed at supporting rural drivers to transition away from fossil fuels, and will he consider extending the grant to second-hand EVs, as recommended in the report published this morning?

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